An Adventure 10 Years in the Waiting
by Khloei-Faye
Summary: What if Rick O'Connell had a sister? How would the story pan out? Disclaimer **All characters, except Tzipporah and Rose, are created and owned by Stephen Sommers, Kevin Jarre, and Lloyd Fonvielle, I claim no ownership to those characters or the the world of The Mummy**
1. She would do anything for her brother

What Would Happen if Rick O'Connell had a Sister?

(Our story opens with Rick in jail getting regular visits from his younger sister who is not yet 20 years.)

"Rick, I wish that there was a way that I could get you out of here," she sighed. "But, our good friend, the warden, won't let you go."

"Yeah, he just likes me so much." Rick smiled sarcastically.

"Well, I suppose, I should head back home." She frowned. These little moments with her brother, her only real family, was what kept her going everyday.

"It's that time again, huh Zi?" She nodded. "Well, I guess I will see you tomorrow."

"Of course, you will. Same time, same place." Rick held his sister's hand for a brief moment to let her know that he loved her. After what seemed like a second, Zi saw the warden giving her the sign that it was time to depart. "I love you, big brother." Rick kissed her hand and let go.

Zi, or Tzipporah, left her brother's cell. As she was about to leave the jail itself, the warden stopped her.

"Good evening, Miss O'Connell," he sneered.

"Good evening."

"I have seen you come every day and spend countless hours with your brother." Zi nodded, though a little irritated. "I understand, however, that you would like to find a way to get him out of here." This is what she wanted.

"Yes, of course, how much?" Zi was hoping that the price wasn't too high so that her aunt, for all intents and purposes, would help pay it.

"Oh, we aren't talking numbers here, Miss O'Connell. We are talking about what you would do to get your brother out of here."

"I'm confused. What is it that you want from me?"

"I am in need of companionship. I would like to find a wife, to have a family. And I have selected you to be this woman." Zi was about to protest. "Before you say anything, my darling, you must be aware that your refusal, depending on the severity, can and will affect your brother's stay here. Perhaps he will leave soon, but not the way you had intended." Suddenly, Zi felt the world crash on her shoulders. The thought of being married to this man was abhorrent, and being touched by him was much worse. But, she wanted her brother to be free. To what lengths would she be willing to go? How far would he go for her?

"I would do anything for my brother, even something as repulsive as marrying you."

"Not exactly how I was hoping you would receive my offer. However, I am feeling generous so your little side comment won't affect your brother's release."

"How soon can I take him home?"

"Well," he stalled. "It would look really bad if I bailed him out so soon after our engagement." Zi could see the logic in that, but still was a little suspicious about him. Being as accepting as she was, she nodded and walked home.

Zi was a companion for a very nice elderly lady. Outside of her brother, her employer was all the family she had.


	2. Zi contemplates her decision

Zi and her brother were dropped off at an orphanage in Cairo when she was an infant. Her mother died in childbirth, and her father, who had been branded as a Medjai and left two months before her birth, returned to his children and brought them to the orphanage with specific instructions for his 10-year-old son.

_To whom it may concern:_

_ I leave my children in your care. My son's name is Richard O'Connell and my daughter hasn't been named yet. My son will name her. I hope that you will honor my wishes and keep them together; they are the only family each other have. _

_ Thank you, _

_ Jack O'Connell_

The nuns at the orphanage honored Jack's request. Though, they were not the only one with explicit instructions. Despite Jack's unwillingness to keep his children, he believed in family. And now Rick's only family was his baby sister. So his directions to his son were to name her, take care of her and to choose the man she would marry, since that would have been Jack's job anyway. Even if Jack hadn't left the instructions for his son, Rick and his sister were very close. They shared a room and were inseparable.

Rick came up with his sister's name about two years after entering the orphanage. They were studying the story in Exodus. He really liked the account of Moses. So, he named his sister after his wife, Tzipporah. But, called her Zi for short.

When Rick left to join the French Foreign Legion in order to earn money to support Zi and himself, he made sure to arrange, through the orphanage, a companion position with an elderly lady for Zi when she became 16, just in case he wasn't back by then.

Here Zi was, 18 years old, visiting her brother every day, and working for this woman until her brother was free to take care of her or until she was married. Unfortunately, the married part was probably going to happen first. It wouldn't be that bad if she actually loved the warden.

The walk home took longer than usual. She was afraid to tell her employer. The moon was high when she finally walked through the door.

"What kept you?" Rose, Zi's employer, asked.

"I found a way to get my brother out."

"You don't sound very happy about it, my child." Rose brushed Zi's hair behind her ear. "You are the closest thing I have to a daughter. You are my only family. If it's that bad, we will have to find a way to get you out of it."

"The only way out of it would be if the warden breaks his promise." Zi left it at that. It was too late to talk about it. It was telling Rick that Zi really dreaded.

She went to bed that night, but she couldn't sleep. She just watched the Egyptian sky from her window and wondered what she would say to Rick.

The morning came slowly; Zi sat up in her bed not wanting to go to the jail. Instead, she got dressed and went downstairs for breakfast with Rose, trying to avoid the inevitable.

"So, now that it's a new day, how is it looking, love?" Rose asked over a bowl of oatmeal.

"It looked better before I left Rick last night." Zi replied, not looking up. "The warden told me that marrying him would be the only bail for my brother." Rose was silent. "I agreed." Rose still said nothing. Breakfast continued in silence. Each one knowing what the other one was thinking, but also knew the reason why Zi agreed.


	3. After years of separation he's leaving

As Zi walked into the jail that afternoon, she noticed that someone else was visiting her brother. She couldn't help but feel a twinge of anger when she saw it was a woman in a white shirt and tan skirt with a large purple hat. But, more than that, she couldn't understand why she was there. And, who was that man lying on the ground?

Zi was about to walk up to them. But, noticing that they were in a deep conversation, she walked to the side to listen in.

"You swear?" The woman asked.

"Every damn day," replied Rick. Zi smiled to herself; that was so like her brother. But what were they talking about?

No, I mean…"

"I know what you mean," Rick interrupted. Obviously this woman didn't grasp his humor. "I was there, alright. Seti's place. The City of the Dead." Things were starting to make some sense. When she saw the warden approach, Zi tried to make sure that she was truly hidden.

"Could you tell me how to get there?" The woman was leaning in closer. This was not a conversation for anyone to hear. "I mean, the exact location?"

Zi didn't hear any more of what they were saying, there voices were too low. All of a sudden she saw Rick kiss her.

"Then get me the hell outta here." He exclaimed as the guards pulled him away from the bars and hit him with a club. "Just do it, lady." He was fighting back.

"Where are they taking him?" The woman asked the warden.

"To be hanged." The rest of the words trailed off. So many emotions were running through Zi. First, her brother was about to be executed. But, second, she no longer had to marry the warden.

The world around her became a blur. She could feel herself fighting to get to the courtyard where the gallows were. She was trying to get passed the guards and run up to him. Lack of sleep and the shock of it all seemed to weaken her. However, the guards were also not being considerate towards the fact that she was a woman. She felt a blow to the side of her head and the ground as she hit when she fell.

She gave up. There was no fighting the guards with their large arms. And now with blood trickling down the side of her face and her arm throbbing, there was no way she could do anything.

Up in the balcony, Zi saw the woman sitting next to the warden. There was some serious conversation going on. They were very animated. She was too distracted by what was going on between the woman and the warden, that she didn't see the initial drop of her brother. All of a sudden, after noticing that Rick's neck did not break, the fight within her came back.

After what seemed like an eternity, the warden shouted, "cut him down!" in Arabic. The guards stopped fighting Zi, allowing her to run up to her brother.

Rick was looking up at the woman who saved his life, but she didn't care. After a moment, he realized that he could finally hug his sister without bars between them, and he pulled her close. Finally, brother and sister were together again.

Zi drew her brother a bath. She was so excited to have her brother free, and she was free also. She laid out clothes that she had bought months ago for her brother in anticipation for his release. She even forgot about the blood on her face, which was now dry, and couldn't feel the throb in her arm.

"This is great service, sis," Rick startled her. "That Rose is too kind. She had my favorite meal made for me." Zi smiled.

"I'm glad that you are happy. Now we got to get you bathed and that hair of yours cut." She slowly started feeling the pain in her head and in the bruises on her arm.

"Zi," Rick walked towards her, alarmed. "What happened?" He immediately grabbed a cloth, dipped it in water and started washing the side of her face.

"I was trying to get to you."

"Did the guards do this?" She nodded. "I am so sorry." Rick pulled her close and hugged her hard.

"Ow," Zi cried. Rick looked at Zi's arm; she had bruises going up her arm. Then, he pulled her close again, gently, and held her.

"I'm so happy to have you home." Zi said to Rick that night in his room.

"Me too, sis," he kissed the top of her head. "Sadly I will be leaving again."

"So soon? Why?"

" The woman who bailed me out has asked for my services as a guide to Hamunaptra." All of a sudden Zi felt ashamed that she couldn't get him out. And jealousy started building in her, after years of her brother being in prison, after he was free she wouldn't get a chance to be with him. He no longer wanted to be with his little sister.

"Oh, I see," Zi felt like crying. She had a feeling that Rick was going to arrange it so that she would be with Rose until his return. "So, what's going to happen with me?"

"Well, after talking with Rose, she decided that it would be best for you to stay here." Zi looked down. She knew that she would probably be left behind, but she couldn't help but hope that Rick would want her to come along. "She was thinking that you could stay as her companion. She would tell the girl at the orphanage, who would be taking your place, that she would need to wait a little longer.

"But, I have missed you so much, that I was thinking that you could come along. Rose doesn't like it, but she understands." A big smile spread across Zi's face.

"Really?" Zi was excited. "You really will take me with you?"

"Yes, that is if you want to." Rick smiled, knowing full well what her answer would be. "We leave the day after tomorrow."


	4. Setting out on the adventure

Early in the morning, Zi grabbed a small traveling bag with her clothes and went down to greet Rick. Her head was feeling better, and the bruises on her arm were almost invisible. Still, she knew she would have to be careful for another day or so.

After a long good-bye with Rose, Rick and Zi headed to Giza Port.

It was a bright morning; Zi was brimming with excitement. Though she was a little concerned that the woman wouldn't want her along for the trip. Also, she wasn't sure how much her brother would push if she said "no". But, Zi decided not to think about the possibility unless it came to it. The worst thing that could possibly happen: would be she would have to go back to Rose.

Zi watched her brother approached the same lady from the jail and a man, she could only assume to be her brother. She wanted to keep her distance so that she wouldn't surprise any of them, she heard only a little of their conversation.

"Yeah, sure, smashing." Rick said, checking his jacket for what, Zi could only guess, his wallet. She wasn't sure why.

"Oh, I would never steal from a partner, partner." The man chuckled nervously.

"Yeah. Right." He looked at the woman. "Before we head out, I was hoping to ask if you would be okay if my sister joined us."

"You have a sister?" The woman asked.

"Yes I do. I haven't really seen her for 10 years."

Well, how could I say no," the woman smiled. Zi walked up to her brother and smiled at the two.

"This is my sister, Zi." She reached out and shook the hands of their traveling companions. "Zi, this is Jonathan and Evelyn."

"Nice to meet you." Zi smiled and looked up at her brother.

"Why don't you go on board, I'll meet you in a bit." Zi walked up the gangplank, and could only hear Evelyn's words trail off.

"Mr. O'Connell, can you look me in the eye, and guarantee me this is not some sort of a flimflam? Because, if it is, I am warning you…"

On the barge, Zi was settling into the room she would be sharing with Rick. She was digging through her traveling bag for her Greek copy of _The Iliad_ when Rick got to the door.

"Guess what, sis," Zi shrugged. "Our good friend, the warden, is on board." He took his jacket off and walked over to Zi. "Don't worry, I won't let him touch you." Zi wondered if he knew what she did to try to bail him out.

"Thank you," Zi responded. Not wanting to let the conversation go further, she opened her book and began to read. After Rick napped for an hour, he got up and left the room. Leaving Zi alone with her book, which made her happy. But, she also wanted to walk around, just didn't want to run into the warden.

"Hello, Zi. Mind if I join you?" Zi was sitting at a table on the deck of the barge, reading her book by lantern, when Evelyn came up to her. She nodded and Evelyn sat down. "What are you reading?"

"_The Iliad _in Greek_."_

"Impressive. I've read that book, in English though." Zi smiled.

"I want to thank you for bailing my brother out. It means the world to me that I can finally be with him again."

"So, you and your brother are close?"

"Very. He's the only family that I have. We were put in an orphanage after I was born. Then our father died about 2 years later, or so I'm told."

"I'm sorry."

"Well, again, I am very happy that he is out. I can't help but feel a little jealous that you were more successful at saving his life. I tried everything. I even agreed to marry the warden." Zi felt ashamed that she was admitting this to someone she barely knew. But there was something about Evelyn, something that made Zi feel as though she could talk to her about anything.

"Luckily, you do not have to marry the warden. I'm sure your brother will make sure he stays away from you."

"My brother does not know. I didn't get a chance to tell him, you were there." Zi looked down at her book "I should go back to my room. Please, please don't tell my brother. I'll tell him if he needs to know."

"My lips are sealed." Evelyn smiled at Zi as she stood up. "Good night." Zi walked back to her room, a little relieved that she could tell another person her little secret. Especially since the warden was joining them on their adventure.

Unbeknownst to Zi and Evelyn, Rick was in the shadows within earshot. He was glad that Zi felt so comfortable talking to Evelyn. But, he was also furious that the warden would pull something so devious to ensnare his sister. He knew that Zi would have done anything to free him, and so did the warden. And through agreeing to marry him, Rick knew that she had grasped the last straw. Now it was even clearer that he had to keep the warden away from his sister.

Back in the room, Zi got ready for bed. Taking her hair down from the bun she had it in earlier. She liked feeling the breeze through her hair as it gently rolled in from the open window. The moon was high on the water and Zi sat on her bed to continue reading her book. Knowing full well that it would be time to go to sleep when Rick came in.

As usual, Zi lost herself in the poetry. Within minutes, Zi was carried off to Troy and the battle between Achilles and Hector. It all seemed so real. She could feel the heat from the sun; hear the sounds of Hector in his armor fall to the ground with a boom. She was amazed at how hot the Troy sun was; she was beginning to feel some perspiration on her neck.

"Zi!" Rick yelled. Startled, Zi looked up from her book just as her brother rushed into the room. That was when she noticed that the barge was on fire, and the sounds of Hector and Achilles hitting the ground, were actually gunshots. "Come on, we got to get out of here." She was still confused. Rick came over to her, picked her up and threw her over his shoulder.

Rick ran out of the room to the side of the barge, where he was previously to throw Evelyn overboard. He put Zi down, grabbed her by the shoulders and looked into her eyes.

"You need to swim to that shore," Rick directed, pointing to the shore.

"Aren't you coming?" Zi was concerned. She wasn't about ready to lose her brother again.

"Of course, I'm not going to leave you." Rick hugged his sister to comfort her. "I'm going to be right behind you. I just wanted to give you a direction to swim." He let go of her, kissed her head and helped her over the railing.


	5. Feeling protected

Once in the water, Zi felt a little turned around. She knew how to swim, but the situation was very surreal. She could see through the water that Rick had jumped in, and she started to follow him. It wasn't long after that she felt a hand on her shoulder pushing her down. It took a moment for Zi to orient herself to see that it was the warden. Apparently he couldn't swim very well.

Rick got to shore and looked around. Evelyn was already on shore and Jonathan was right behind him. It only took a second for Rick to realize that Zi was not on shore yet, and she was thrown off well before he was able to jump in. What no one knew was that before Rick could jump in after his sister, one of the men that attacked the barge came up over the edge at him. Following his sister directly was not an option at this point.

After he had bested this man by sending him into a room filled with fire, a panicked warden detained him even further.

"O'Connell, O'Connell! What are we going to do? What are we going to do?" He asked.

"Wait here, I'll go get help." Rick responded then jumped overboard. He knew that the warden was too smart to fall for that, but anything that put space between the warden and Zi, was good enough for him.

After some struggle, Zi was able to make it to shore, with the warden pretty much on her back. She didn't have the ability to fight him off and swim at the same time. Had she done so, she wouldn't have made it to shore. She used all the energy she had to swim and push up to get some air.

Rick ran up to her when he noticed the problem.

"Get off her!" Rick said to the warden. Zi was grateful and dragged herself out of the water. "You picked the wrong person's sister to mess with." Rick said when Zi was out of earshot. "You are to stay away from her. I know that you manipulated her love for me for your own advantage. You try to pull that again and you'll have me to answer to. Comprende?"

The warden didn't say anything. In his mind he still had dibs on Zi. He didn't know that she was there at his hanging. He didn't pay attention to the person that ran up to Rick after he was cut down. In his mind, Rick was free; therefore Zi was still his. But, what he also didn't know was, Rick had final say in the man Zi would marry.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, just a little tired." Zi responded, coughing.

"Hey, O'Connell!" Someone called across the river. "Looks to me like I've got all the horses!"

"Hey, Beni!" Rick responded. "Looks to me like you're on the wrong side of the river!" Zi laughed a little. To which Beni looked around, noticed his blunder, and cursed.

Zi and Evelyn shivered from the cool night air on their wet skin and clothes. All of their clothes went down with the barge.

"Well, Miss O'Connell," Evelyn said to Zi as they approached a Bedouin trading post. "Looks as though we are going to have to get us some clothes." Zi was a little embarrassed; she was walking in the desert in her nightgown, all the while her brother's arm was around her.

"Why don't you two ladies find some clothes and we'll take care of the transportation." Rick suggested. Evelyn took Zi's arm and they walked into a nearby tent filled with clothing.

"Oh, Miss O'Connell, this would look nice on you." Evelyn brought a black Bedouin style dress with intricate embroidery in turquoise. Zi put the dress on, not used to the freedom the dress gave her. The clothes she was used to wearing were form fitting with a lot of buttons and stiff fabric. But this dress flowed with every step she took, moved each time a breeze hit it. This was a very comfortable dress.

Evelyn found herself a dress and walked out to Zi.

"You look lovely," Evelyn said. "Shall we go then, Miss O'Connell?"

"You can call me Zi, and yes we shall."

"Zi, is that short for something? I've never heard it before."

"It's short for Tzipporah. My brother named me, but I had a tough time saying it and spelling it when I was a child, that he came up with a nickname fore me."

Evelyn and Zi walked out surrounded by a group of Bedouin women fixing their veils, to Rick and Jonathan who were both holding the lead of two camels.

"Awfully," Rick was saying to Jonathan. Evelyn blushed; it was obvious to Zi that Rick had been talking about Evelyn by the way he looked at her. "Sorry, sis, I couldn't get more than four camels."

"That's alright, Zi will ride with me." The warden said, matter-of-factly.

"Well, you're right about one thing." Rick responded to him.

"What's that?"

"That it's alright that we only have four camels. However, the part where she rides with you is completely incorrect." Rick quickly retorted. Then got close to the warden and spoke softly, though firmly. "And, the part where you called her by her first name is also something you won't be doing, especially by her informal name. In order to call her anything but Miss O'Connell, you would need her permission and mine. That, I do not give."

"You forget, O'Connell, that she agreed to marry me if I freed you."

"You forget, warden, that after she agreed to that, you sent me to be hanged. And, oh, here's another fun tip, she was there and saw it. So, your 'engagement' is null and void." Rick was about to walk away. "Oh, and in order for her to marry she needs my permission. So, if I die, she can't get married." Rick shrugged his shoulders as if to say 'sorry, you're outta luck' then turned and walked back to the group.

"Zi, I hope you don't mind riding with your big brother," Rick said to his sister.

"Absolutely not," Zi smiled and was helped up on the largest camel.


	6. The camel ride

"Never did like camels," Jonathan said, breaking the silence after a couple hours. "Filthy buggers. They smell, they bite, they spit." The warden spat gristle from his mouth. "Disgusting," Jonathan concluded about the camels, though it worked also with the warden.

More hours passed. Zi leaned lightly on her brother. Rick wrapped an arm around her and kissed the top of her head.

"Sorry I'm such a burden to you," Zi told her brother, half awake. Truth was, Zi had a lot that she felt guilty for. Her biggest guilt was Rick losing out on having his mother around. She sometimes wondered if her brother resented her, but she never said anything. But, also, with all the responsibilities that their father put on him to take care of her. She supposed that he could have chosen not to follow their father's last wishes.

"You will never be a burden," Rick whispered, knowing that Zi was falling asleep. "No," he sighed and kissed the top of her head again. "You will never be a burden." He started humming the lullaby their mother would sing to him. He often sang it to Zi at the orphanage; it was his way of letting her know that he was happy that she was around.

"Good morning, my friend," Beni said to Rick as they approached one another. Rick nodded, acknowledging him, then turned the camel to look at the open desert.

"What the hell are we doing?" Mr. Daniels, one of the men that Beni was leading, asked.

"Patience, my good barat'm. Patience." Beni replied.

"Remember our bet, O'Connell. First one to the city, 500 cash bucks." Mr. Henderson, another one of the men, called across to Rick. Then leaned over to a third companion, Mr. Burns, and whispered, "This should be easy. He's carrying two people."

"A hundred of them bucks is yours, if you help us win that bet." Mr. Daniels told Beni.

"Oh, my pleasure." Beni responded. "Hey, O'Connell." Rick looked at him. "Nice camel." Rick patted the top of his camel's head. Zi knew that she would slow him down.

"Would you like me to wait here so you can have a fair chance at winning?" Zi whispered to Rick.

"Don't even think of it. There are three other camels here that will help if that's what you are worried about. Besides, I would rather lose the bet then leave you behind." Rick whispered back. He knew her intentions were good. But, he also knew that there were many things that she felt guilty for. He would never bring them up for the same reason she wouldn't. Yet, he wondered if they should sit down and get it all out in the open. But, this was one thing he was going to make sure she didn't feel guilty about.

"Get ready for it." Rick told Evelyn, Jonathan and the warden.

"For what?" Evelyn asked.

"We're about to be shown the way," Rick replied. The sun rises over the horizon to bring to light Hamunaptra. Everyone seemed to be excited, except for Rick. "Here we go again," he muttered under his breath.

As soon as the city was in full view, everyone, including Rick, whipped their camels, or horses, into full gallop. Zi was very excited, but also a little worried that she might fall off. But, Rick wouldn't let that happen, even though it worried him a little also.

At first, Beni was in the lead. But, even with Zi's added weight, Rick caught up with him fast. Beni was not having it. He stopped whipping his camel and started striking at Rick. However, he missed the first time and hit Zi. The look on Rick's face went from panic to anger to worry, then back to panic in a split second. Beni saw all that and used that to his advantage. Instead of hitting Rick, he aimed at Zi. On about the fifth strike, Rick grabbed the whip in Beni's hand to stop him, and then grabbed his shirt.

"So long, Beni!" Rick said as he pulled him off his camel. Zi was a little bruised up. Rick put his arm around her to hold her on the camel. "Are you alright?" Zi didn't answer. She was too stunned.

"That serves you right." Evelyn said down at Beni as she came up along side Rick and Zi. She was gaining speed, and it looked as though, no matter what, they would win. Zi had nothing to feel guilty about. Rick looked at Evelyn as her camel matched speed with his. He smiled at her and she at him, then at Zi. She was having a great time. Her camel lowed and picked up speed. She looked a little scared, but went with it.

In the city, Zi was sitting with some paper and a pencil that she found at the Bedouin trading post, drawing the city. Rick was wrapping some rope around a pillar for them to repel down, the warden was hanging a little too close, so Rick would smack him with the tail end of the rope as he wrapped it around for the knot. Evelyn and Jonathan were polishing some ancient mirrors, waiting to go down the rope.

Zi watched her brother approach Evelyn. She was happy that he liked a girl, and it happened to be someone that she liked too. But, it was bittersweet. For 18 years, Zi was the only woman in Rick's life who was really important. Even when Rick was gone, he always thought of her. Taking advancements in the French Foreign Legion whenever he could, just so he could earn more money to support Zi. When he was in jail, Zi finally had her brother back. Well, sort of. Now, only days after his release, he was falling in love.

Yes, Zi wanted him to be happy. But, it was strange to think of their life in any other way than a 'brother and sister O'Connell take on the world' way. She was a little worried, that if Rick and Evelyn hit it off, that she would no longer be in Rick's life. Zi knew that she was important to her brother. But, there had been days that she doubted her own self-worth.

"Hey! Look for bugs." The warden said to Rick as he headed down the rope. "I hate bugs." It was time to go down. Zi was excited. She put her pencil and paper in her pocket and went down the rope after her brother.


	7. Finding a place to dig

"Do you realize we're standing inside a room that no one has entered in over 3,000 years." Evelyn stood on the left side of Rick and Zi on his right.

"Whoo! What is that god-awful stench?" Jonathan said as he got off the rope. Zi, Rick and Evelyn looked at him as he looked up at the warden right behind him. "Oh," realizing that it was the warden. Zi suppressed a giggle. Rick looked at her and smiled as if to tell her that he found it funny also.

Evelyn walked over to a mirror, dusted off the cobwebs and started angling it up towards the light.

"And then there was light." The entire room filled with light as the sun bounced off the mirror and then reflected on an aisle of strategically placed mirrors.

"Hey, that is a neat trick," Rick was impressed.

They walked in a single file line: Rick, Zi, Evelyn, Jonathan, and then the warden. Rick had Zi hold onto his belt so he knew he wouldn't lose her. The tunnel was dark, only Rick, Jonathan and the warden carried torches. Evelyn put her hand on Zi's shoulder to let her know that she was also there for her. Even though Evelyn didn't know Zi all that well, she had great respect for Rick's need to protect her. And since she was older than Zi, who also had no other female really in her life, Evelyn also felt protective over her.

"The legs of Anubis." Evelyn confirmed as they emerged from the tunnel. Zi let go of her brother's belt, but stayed close. "The secret compartment should be hidden somewhere inside here." Before Evelyn got a chance to look, there was a loud noise and they all pushed up against the base of the Anubis statue. Evelyn took hold of Rick's torch so he could hold two guns. Zi shied behind her brother as much as possible. Jonathan grabbed a small gun.

As the moaning got closer, they all jumped around the corner, only to come face-to-face, and gunpoint-to-gunpoint with the other group.

"You scared the be jesus out of us, O'Connell." Mr. Henderson said, a little relieved.

"Likewise," Rick responded. He uncocked his guns and started lowering them, as did everyone else.

"Hey, that's my tool kit." Mr. Burns eyed something that Evelyn was holding. Zi knew that Rick had taken it for Evelyn.

"No, I don't think so," raising his guns again, as did everyone else.

"Okay," Mr. Burns was a little frightened by the guns pointed at him. "Perhaps I was mistaken." The guns lowered again.

The negotiation of who got to the legs of the Anubis statue went on for a few minutes, until Evelyn pointed out, assuredly, that there were other places to dig. Rick lowered his guns and let Evelyn lead them to a room below the statue.

On the journey there, the warden was misplaced. He went off to seek his own treasure. Rick didn't care. As long as the man didn't try to take his sister with him, Rick was happy to get rid of the man for a few hours or even days.

Evelyn was right, this room held some sort of treasure of it's own. After some time of Evelyn, Jonathan and Rick standing on small statues in order to dig into the ceiling, they took a break. While Evelyn explained the process of mummification, which Zi already knew, Jonathan practiced his golf stroke.

Thanks to the loose dirt from digging, and thousands of years of weathering, a sarcophagus fell from the ceiling. It wasn't exactly the book that Evelyn was looking for, but it was still exciting. The hieroglyphics on the top read "he that shall not be named". Rick then noticed a lock on the outside of the sarcophagus. Evelyn realized then, that the 'puzzle box' that Jonathan had 'borrowed' from Rick, was the key for the lock.

Zi was noticing how quiet it was and it bothered her. She walked to the door of the room, careful to stay in view of Rick. When all of a sudden she heard someone screaming. As the scream got closer she turned to run back to Rick, but bumped into him because he came up to her. His gun was drawn and he held Zi behind him as he went into the hallway.

The screaming came from the warden who came running into view holding his head. He ran head on into a wall. In that instant, Rick pulled his sister close and buried her face in his shirt. This was not something he wanted her to see. Even though he was now relieved that he didn't have to keep the warden away from Zi, he still didn't want her to have to see someone die.

Even though Zi didn't see it, she still knew what happened. She crumpled to the ground in shock. She wasn't sure how she should feel about this. Was she happy that the warden could no longer think that Zi was still under obligation to him? Or because now she wouldn't have to tell Rick what she did to try and free him? Should she feel terrible that she even thought these things? Inside she was a mess of emotions, but on the outside, she just stared at the body of the warden lying on the floor. Motionless and wide eyed.


	8. The camp at night

Rick sat next to her. He knew that even though he covered her face, doesn't mean she didn't understand what was going to happen. She wouldn't play the image of the warden running into the wall over and over in her head, but she may see his crazed expression as he ran through the halls of the underground labyrinth.

Evelyn, Jonathan and Zi sat around a campfire that night. Evelyn was talking to Jonathan while Zi just stared into the fire.

"What do you suppose killed him?" Evelyn asked.

"Did you ever see him eat?" Jonathan replied. He looked over at Zi, a little concerned that she hadn't moved since she sat down. Rick approached them from the American camp and sat next to Zi.

"Seems that our American friends had a little misfortune of their own today." He put his arm around his sister, who warmed to his touch. "Three of their diggers were, uh…melted." Zi didn't want to hear more about death. So she zoned out. Their voices were muffled by her thoughts. She was no stranger to death; after all she killed her mother.

Zi was brought back to the present when her brother raised his gun. Apparently, Jonathan was going through the warden's satchel and something cut his finger.

"Are you okay?" Rick asked Zi after it was obvious that there was no danger coming from the satchel. He could tell that he startled his sister by his movement.

"Yeah, I'm fine." She smiled. Rick settled back down, allowing Zi to lean against him. A moment later he turned his head to the sound of horses whinnying.

"Take this," Rick handed his elephant gun to Evelyn. "Stay here." He was still saying that in the direction of Evelyn, but Zi knew he meant her.

"No, wait, wait! Wait for me. Wait!" Evelyn stood up and followed Rick.

"Evy!" Jonathan called after her as he got up to follow. "Excuse me, but didn't the man just say 'stay here'?" There was no response. "Evy!" Zi was left alone. She didn't like it. Hamunaptra was a spooky place. She knew she was supposed to stay put, but she got frightened and stood up to follow her brother and the rest.

Zi is still a little bit of a mystery to her brother. On her many travels with Rose, she learned how to carry a firearm. In fact, for her 17th birthday, Rose gave her a small derringer, which she kept strapped to her thigh. She could hear gunshots, so she pulled out her gun and checked the bullets. She hadn't used it, so there were plenty. Then she got up and went towards the American's camp.

Zi made it to the camp in time to see black riders jump over a fallen pillar. The diggers in the American camp were running around as if they didn't know which way was up. The four American treasure hunters were having a great time shooting at the riders. Knocking them off of their saddles and into the sand.

Rick was the smart one. He got behind a column so that he wasn't exposed to any gunfire. Evelyn ran up, holding the elephant gun, ready to shoot. A rider came up behind her; she turned around at the sound of the hoof beats, aimed and fired. The kickback knocked her to the ground, stunned.

Jonathan was hiding behind a low wall shooting at the unknown passing by riders. Zi was the last to get to the scene. She was below Rick and stopped before he could see her, unless he turned around. He was too busy shooting riders at a distance from him that he didn't see two riders coming up close to him.

Zi didn't have to think. She took aim and shot the first rider. He fell to the ground. Rick looked to where that shot came from. Zi was too busy aiming at the second rider to notice the look of confused anger on her brother's face. Zi shot the second rider, but it just grazed him. He pulled out his sword and turned his horse toward her. Rick quickly took aim and shot him. After which, the rider less horse continued forward toward Zi. She quickly jumped out of the way to avoid getting trampled. Rick knew he would have to talk to her about this.

After Rick saw Zi jump out of the way, he heard his name being called. Jonathan came running below him followed by a rider. Rick holstered his gun, waited until the rider was just below him, and jumped on him to unhorse him. It was easier to fight when they were both standing.

One sword shot out of the rider's hand, gun being knocked out by a second sword and a stick of dynamite later, and the leader of the rider's ordered them to leave. But he left both camps with a warning.

"Leave this place or die." He warned. "You have one day," as he turned and jumped on his horse.

That night, Rick was sitting around the fire with Evelyn. Zi was drawing the city at night, now that the two camps decided to join forces, at night. Mr. Burns, who also liked drawing, sat next to her. He couldn't deny he was attracted to her. But, then again, so were Mr. Daniels and Mr. Henderson.

Up at camp, Evelyn was talking to Rick about Zi.

"She is a lovely girl. I don't have any sisters, so it's nice to have another woman to talk to."

"Yeah, I'm glad she has you too." He looked toward the camp. "I just wish that I was able to spend more time with her. I'm afraid she has too much guilt riding on her after our mother died that she can't fully accept that I would do anything for her."

"Perhaps, all you need to do is talk to her." Evelyn suggested. "If you would rather, I could try to draw it out of her, but it would really be better coming from you."

"I know. And I know exactly how the conversation is going to start."

Down at the American camp, Zi was finishing up her drawing of the moon over the main part of the city. Mr. Burns had barely touched his drawing.

"You draw well, Miss O'Connell," Mr. Burns broke the silence.

"Thank you, Mr. Burns." Zi could tell that he was trying to make conversation, but she wasn't in the mood. A lot had happened. Even though the fighting with the black rider's pulled her out of her funk after the warden died, she still was running the scene of his crazed look through her mind. Trying to figure out how she should feel. She would talk to Evelyn about it, but she was up with Rick. And she would talk to Rick about it, she could figure out a way to omit the part of the story where she agreed to marry him. But, she wasn't ready to face him after he saw her with a gun.

This was the only thing on her mind. And she wasn't about to divulge any secrets to a man that would probably not have anything to do with her once the adventure was over.

"I think it's time I head back up to my camp." Zi stood up and turned to say goodnight. "Thank you for keeping me company. Good Night Mr. Burns." Zi turned and walked up to the camp. When she got close, she was able to see Evelyn leaning close to Rick as if she was going to kiss him, and then fall forward.

"What no luck tonight, big brother?" There was no way to sneak up on her brother, so Zi decided to announce herself.

"Yeah, I suppose not," Rick laughed. "Zi, sit here, we have to talk." She complied. She sat next to him so that they could keep their conversation low as to not wake Jonathan or Evelyn.

"What do you want to talk about?" Zi feigned ignorance.

"Well, several things. But let's start with the derringer that you are carrying."

"How could you tell what it was from so far away?" Zi tried to change the subject, a little.

"Tzipporah Mary O'Connell, you know very well what I am asking. So tell me, how did you come across having one of them?"

"Rose gave it to me."

"What? She did not clear this with me, nor did she tell me about it." Rick was a little angry with Rose. "When did you get it?"

"She gave it to me on my 17th birthday. As her companion she thought it would be best if I knew how to protect myself. So, I learned how to shoot many types of guns, but she gave me this small one so I could carry it always and not be conspicuous." Zi looked down, defeated.

"I'm not scolding you," Rick raised his sister's chin with his hand. "I'm only trying to take care of you."

"I know, because our father left you instructions." The truth was out. She would never deny that her brother loved her, but it was hard to believe he would do this for any other reason.

"Yes, he did tell me. But, despite our father's last wishes, I would have anyway." Rick looked at her calmly. "I know you know I love you and would do anything for you, but you need to stop carrying the weight of the world in guilt." Rick was very good at reading Zi's thoughts. "It's not your fault that our mother died. And, given the fact that I have always wanted a sister, I may have resented our parents had you not made it." Rick wanted to make sure that Zi knew exactly how much he loved her.

"You know how people believe in soul mates?" He continued. Zi nodded. "Well, I don't think that soul mates have to deal with the person that you are necessarily going to marry and start a family, they are who completes you. And you, baby sister, you complete me. No matter who I end up with, without you my life would be empty." Zi never thought about soul mates that way. But, when she looked at it in that respect, it made more sense. Her soul mate completed her; it was her brother.

"I love you so much, Rick," Zi had tears in her eyes as she hugged her brother.

"And I love you." He kissed the top of her head. "Now, another thing." Zi pulled away, not sure what he was going to say. "I know what you did. I know you agreed to marry the warden in order to bail me out of jail." Zi looked down again, ashamed this time.

"I'm sorry. I didn't intend on your ever figuring it out."

"Zi, what would have happened if he didn't break his promise? Would you have married him?"

"If it set you free, yes."

"Without my permission?"

"If I had to, then yes. I didn't want to marry him." Zi quickly said in her defense.

"I know. But, now I'm wondering, what if he hadn't died tonight? If he was adamant about, would you have at least told me so I could help you?"

"If it got to that point, yes I would."

"Good," Rick looked at Zi's tear stained face. She hated feeling as though she disappointed him. "Now, to the most important matter. How are you doing now that he is dead?" Zi and Rick talked well into the night. She fell asleep to him stroking her hair and singing their mother's lullaby. "Now that everything is out in the open. Things will be better." Rick thought to himself.

Rick looked down at his sister, thankful that he went against Rose's suggestion. He was very happy that she was here with him. They had spent too many years apart. No wonder she doubted her worth to him.


	9. Unearthing Imhotep

The next morning, Evelyn, Jonathan, Rick and Zi went down to the room where the sarcophagus was unearthed the night before. Evelyn was extremely excited to see who was inside. Zi was a bit apprehensive. She was rather sheepish, but her brother gave her courage.

"Oh, I've dreamt about this since I was a little girl." Evelyn followed Rick and Jonathan as they leaned the inner sarcophagus against the wall.

"You dream about dead guys?" Rick joked. Zi laughed. Rick looked back at her, glad that someone was amused with his joke, and then motioned for her to come closer.

"Look, his sacred spells have been chiseled off." Rick and Jonathan didn't seem all that interested. But Zi was curious. "This man must have been condemned not only in this life but in the next."

"Tough break," Rick was amusing himself.

"Yeah, I'm all tears," Jonathan said, joining in on the amusement. "Now, let's see who's inside, shall we?" Jonathan struggled with turning the 8-pointed star key.

Evelyn and Zi stood back as Rick and Jonathan worked together to pry open the lid. It took some time, but soon the lid came off and out popped a gooey mummy.

"Oh, my God, I hate it when these things do that." Evelyn said looking at it. They took a few minutes to examine the mummy. Zi wondered why the mummy was so juicy if it had been dead for 3,000 years, or so. Zi wasn't getting a good feeling about this. She started backing away; it felt as though the mummy was looking straight at her. The smell alone was nauseating. Zi tried to say something, but she had no voice. Instead, she left the room unnoticed.

Zi almost got lost in the labyrinth. Her head was spinning.

"Miss O'Connell?" Zi heard her name, but couldn't tell who was calling it. "Miss O'Connell, it is you." Mr. Burns was very happy to see her. "Are you alright?"

"Yes, I think so." She looked at Mr. Burns, trying to focus her eyes. "Um,…which way is up?" Mr. Burns took her arm and escorted her out and into the open air. The world was still a blur to her, but she was thankful to be out in the open.

"Thank you, Mr. Burns," she half-smiled and turned to go to her camp.

"Miss O'Connell, perhaps you should stay here." Zi was hesitant. "I'm sure your brother would want to see you first thing when he comes out, before he panics. And, I could stay with you if you would like. You know, keep you company." Zi would be glad of that, but also she just wanted to lie down.

"Thank you, Mr. Burns, but I think I need to lie down." Zi walked up to the camp. It was slow going; the pillars all seemed to have a life of their own. Mr. Burns watched Zi, to make sure she was okay. He knew he should have offered to walk her up there, but it was too late.

"Where's Zi?" Jonathan asked, looking around the room. Rick had been so consumed with the mummy and getting lost in the majesty of this archeological find, that he didn't notice when Zi slipped out.

"Damn it," Rick scolded himself. The worst-case scenario ran through his head. He wouldn't be able to watch his sister come running down the halls, hands on her head pulling hair out, then running straight into a wall. "Tzipporah!" Rick called. He went out into the halls and started running and calling her name frantically.

"Maybe she's outside," Evelyn said, at last, trying to calm down Rick. "We haven't explored all that much of Hamunaptra, and she doesn't seem the curious one to go somewhere she hasn't been yet."

"Right," Rick agreed. "We'll take a quick look outside, check our camp, but if she isn't out there I'm coming back in here and combing this place until she is found." He was kicking himself.

"Don't worry, we'll find her." Evelyn looked at Rick.

"I swear, Evy, if anything happens to her," he couldn't think. "I don't know what I'll do. Without her, my life is empty." Evelyn understood; it was also how she felt about Jonathan. He was her only family now also, if something happened to him, she wouldn't have anyone else.

"You don't know, maybe she tried to say something and she thought we heard her but we didn't. So, when you see her, don't go jumping down her throat." Evelyn smiled a little, trying to give reassurance to Rick. He nodded, thankful that she was thinking positively, because he sure couldn't keep images of him finding her lying on the ground somewhere.

At the camp, Zi had laid down. She felt as though the entire world was spinning too fast for her. She closed her eyes tight, trying to slow it down, but she couldn't. Images of the warden running crazy and the mummy staring at her went through her head.

Mr. Burns saw that she had made it to camp. He smiled to himself, he felt honored that she trusted him enough to get her out safely. In the back of his mind, he was hoping that the curse really was just superstition. He would like to get to know her better.

"Tzipporah!" Rick ran out of the ruins calling for her. Mr. Burns had just turned around to head back inside with the rest of his group, when he ran into a frantic Rick O'Connell. "You," Rick grabbed his shirt and yanked him forward. "Have you seen my sister?"

"Calm down," Evelyn attempted to help Rick relax.

"Miss O'Connell?" Mr. Burns asked. Rick was irritated. He knew that Mr. Burns knew who his sister was. He nodded with a clenched jaw. "She's up at camp. She was looking pale when I found her wandering around inside. I thought it best that she lay down."

Rick let go of Mr. Burns' shirt and ran up to the camp. Jonathan followed close behind, as did Evelyn who turned around to Mr. Burns to say 'Thank you'.

"Tzipporah!" Rick kept calling as he approached her. Just like the image in his mind, she was laying on the ground. Rick rushed to her side, she was pale, but she was still breathing. "Oh, thank God, you're alright." Rick sighed relieved. Zi looked up at her brother as he pulled her up to hold her. She didn't remember how she got there.

Zi sat next to Rick at a fire in the American's camp that night. After she remembered what had made her leave the room, Rick kept an extra close eye on her. Mostly because this was an unfamiliar place for her, and he believed that evil was here. He had enlisted Jonathan's help in keeping her safe along with Mr. Burns, who he assumed was smitten with her. However, if Rick had anything to say about it, which he did, nothing would come of it.

Zi was nodding off just listening to the deep, resonant sound of Rick's voice, as it vibrated through is chest. The last thing she remembered hearing:

"You're in her seat," Rick told Beni. To which he laughed. "Now!"

"Yep," Beni moved and sat next to Zi, who had now fallen asleep. Rick wasn't too keen on how he had seen Beni looking at his sister.

"Yeah, you can't sit there either." Beni gave Rick a look of 'what are you going to do about it?' Rick smacked him with the stick he had in is hand to stoke the fire with. After that warning, Beni got up and moved again.

Zi woke up, briefly, when her brother was carrying her back to the camp. She could hear him humming as he walked. Feeling safe, Zi let herself fall back to sleep.


	10. Wanting to run, but needing to stay

What seemed like only a second later, Zi was woken up. Apparently, Evelyn had seen a black book that the Egyptologist from the other camp had dug up. It wasn't the book that she was looking for, The Book of the Living, which was made of gold. What she had 'borrowed' was The Book of the Dead.

Zi had fallen asleep, again, next to her brother. When he got up to look at the book that Evelyn was carrying, he gently moved Zi so he wouldn't wake her. Now, with the howling wind and a cloud of locusts, Zi felt herself being shaken awake by her brother who then grabbed her hand forcing her to run to keep up with them.

They walked through the dark labyrinth of Hamunaptra. Rick was holding a torch in one hand and his elephant gun in the other.

"Hold onto my belt, Zi," Rick told his sister after he let go of her hand. All of a sudden the ground began to shake and a sand mound started to rise from the ground. The four walked backwards, not knowing exactly what to make of the mound. Out of the top, thousands of scarabs came crawling out until the ground was covered with them. They turned around and ran. Zi had to let go of her brother's belt so neither of them would trip.

Rick turned around, after they had gained some ground, threw his torch into the black mass and took a couple shots at them with his elephant gun. After which, he grabbed Zi's hand and continued to run. Through an archway was an incline of a stone walkway. This was the perfect place to get away from the flesh eaters; it would be easier than to try to out run them. Evelyn found sanctuary a short hop up off the pathway, up against a wall. Jonathan made a large leap to the left on the top of one of the two pillars. Rick saw, instantly, that the other pillar was a far leap and didn't want to risk losing Zi. So he quickly pushed her next to Evelyn and he jumped to the other pillar, nearly missing it.

Zi crouched down on her feet. Evelyn continued to watch the scarabs as the swarm scurried past them. She walked against the wall, not seeing Zi, and their weight together triggered a trap door. Evelyn and Zi were in a dark hallway of the labyrinth.

"Zi, are you okay?" Evelyn asked, helping her stand up. She was grateful that she wasn't alone. Zi dusted the sand off her dress and stood up.

"I think so," Zi looked around. "But where are we?" Evelyn was about to answer when they heard someone moaning. Standing in the hallway, illuminated by moonlight coming in from a hole in the ceiling, was Mr. Burns. His back was turned towards them, but they were still relieved that there was someone else there. Evelyn was the only person who could find her voice.

"Oh. Oh, Mr. Burns. Thank goodness." Evelyn and Zi walked over to him. "I was just starting to get scared." It was true that Zi was also, but Evelyn couldn't speak for her. "We've lost everyone. I…" Evelyn's words trailed off as she turned Mr. Burns around and noticed that his eyes had been taken, as was his tongue.

Evelyn and Zi screamed. Evelyn backed away and knocked Zi to the ground, not knowing where Zi was. Zi buried her face in her hands but she couldn't close her eyes. Zi turned around and the mummy that was in the sarcophagus approached her. Only now, he was alive. She started backing up until she was against a wall. Mr. Burns, who was in need of help, started crawling towards Zi, reaching for her. She kept moving away, frightened. Finally he gave up and started crawling away.

Zi could hear the mummy talk to Evelyn in Ancient Egyptian, which they both understood. But Zi couldn't tear her eyes off of the helpless Mr. Burns, as Evelyn couldn't tear her eyes off of the mummy before her. The mummy obviously didn't see Zi, who knows what would have happened if he did.

There was a part of Zi that wanted to shoot the mummy, but since her brother took her gun, she had lost all confidence to help out in anyway. Her gun, though small, helped Zi feel strong. She knew when and when not to use it, so at this moment, she could have possibly helped Evelyn by not being so scared. Instead, Zi continued to shrink back against the wall.

Evelyn had pretty much forgotten that Zi was there. But, then the walking corpse was looking at her and growling. It wasn't that Evelyn didn't appreciate Zi for being there, but Evelyn also knew that she was also scared.

"Please help me." Evelyn said to Mr. Burns, just over a whisper, not taking her eyes off of the mummy. "Please don't leave me."

Zi covered her face, ashamed that she was too frightened to do anything.

"There you are!" Rick called when he saw Evelyn. "Will you quit playing hide-and-seek? Come on. Let's get out of here." He didn't see the mummy until he was next to Evelyn and looked where she was looking. "Whoa!"

Jonathan and the rest of the Americans entered the room and stopped dead in their tracks. Jonathan also made note as to where Zi was. Since he was asked to help Rick keep an eye on her, he wanted to do his best.

Zi heard the mummy's high-pitched, whistling roar. She covered her ears while also trying to suppress a scream. The next thing she knew, her brother was next to her.

"Time to go, sis," he stroked her hair, trying to sound calm. Zi smiled and nodded. In the small bubble that surrounded Rick and Zi, there was nothing wrong. It was just simply time to head home because it was late.

A second later, Zi took hold of Rick's hand and ran.

Once outside, Rick helped his sister onto a camel then climbed up behind her. Evelyn, Jonathan and the rest of the American team climbed up onto camels or horses. It took the teams only seconds to pack up what they were taking home. They wanted to get out as soon as possible.

"Thank you for coming back for me," Zi said to Rick when they were half way home.

"I never left you," Zi smiled and settled into her brother's chest. She felt a tad guilty that she was able to fall asleep and Rick couldn't. But he wouldn't have had it any other way. He liked having his sister close, now with this mummy on the loose; he was going to make sure she stayed that way. He decided that once they got back to Cairo, he was going to get two tickets to America. It was time to take Zi back home, home that he knew, and now seemed as good a time as any.

"I thought you said you didn't believe in that fairy tales and hokum stuff." Rick was 'helping' Evelyn pack while Zi stood against the wall where he could see her. "Shoo!" He said to the white cat that was on top of Evelyn's suitcase.

"Having an encounter with a 3,000-year-old walking, talking corpse does tend to convert one." Rick was resolved that they were all going to leave. Evelyn wasn't. The only person on her side was Zi, frightened as she was. But, even though she didn't want to share her brother with anyone now that she finally got him back, she also didn't want to say good-bye to the one female in her life she could tell anything to. She never had a sister, but if she did, she could only imagine their relationship would be almost like hers and Evelyn's. Even after such a short period of time.

Also, if Rick decided to leave Evelyn here and Zi went with him, his mind would be preoccupied with her. She was so consumed with her thoughts, that Zi didn't realize what was happening until Rick was at the door, which was open, taking her hand and looking at Evelyn.

"Fine!" Rick said to Evelyn then walked out of the room pulling Zi along and slammed the door. "Alright, Zi, we need to get your stuff and we're out of here."

"But, I don't want to go." Zi tried to wriggle her arm from Rick's tight grip.

"Excuse me," Rick turned around to look at his sister. "I'm sorry, but I'm supposed to look out for you."

"'Supposed to'? There's that phrase again." She pouted. "If you don't want to, by all means, go. I'm not the one who is forcing you to take care of me. That was our father, and he's dead so what is he going to care?" Rick could see that with two little words he hurt his sister in so many ways. It was no surprise that Zi felt guilty, he could see that now.

"I don't mean it they way it sounds." Rick was defeated. "Yes, our father gave me strict instructions to take care of you, but I still would have done it any way. I loved you the moment I saw you. There was no doubt in my mind that I was going to take care of you, even if our mother hadn't died." Rick thought that everything was settled.

"Now, let's go," Rick turned around still holding Zi's hand.

"No!"

"Tzipporah O'Connell, I am invoking my right as your brother, your only family, and your protector." Zi had never seen her brother so stern before. "We are going to get out of Egypt and go back to where we are from."

"No!"

"I'm not going to be as easy on you as I was with Evy," Rick pointed toward Evelyn's room. "We are leaving and that is final." Zi was smart, so she nodded and surrendered. She knew she couldn't argue with him at this time. But, she would find a way to stay.

"Fine. Let me say good-bye to Evelyn and get my stuff." Rick let go of Zi's hand.

"Okay," Rick kissed his sister's forehead. "You go and do it quickly, I'm going to go see about Jonathan." After Zi watched Rick go down the stairs, she turned around and knocked on Evelyn's door.

"Zi! What are you doing here?" Evelyn was surprised when she opened her door.

"Disappointed?" Zi asked entering the room and closing the door behind her.

"I just thought that you were leaving with your brother."

"Well, that's where I need your help." Zi looked at Evelyn mischievously. "I don't want to go. I want to stay and help."

"Your brother won't agree."

"Somehow I have to hide." Evelyn smiled.

"You can hide here, but you are going to have to stay with me at all times. Are we agreed?"

"Yes." Zi smiled. Rick wouldn't be happy, but Zi had to redeem herself from the other night.

Zi kept busy in Evelyn's room with her Greek copy of _The Iliad_. Once again getting lost in Troy and the epic battles. And once again she heard loud noises, realizing that her imagination was not getting the better of her, Zi looked out the window and saw fire and hail falling from the sky. Zi was worried about Evelyn, and for a moment lost her nerve to stay.

She ran out of the room looking for Evelyn and saw Rick on the stairs holding Beni by his shirt against the wall. Over the roaring and crashing of the fire and hail, the high-pitched whistle of a howl could be heard. She knew that sound, she remembered it from the other night. It was close.

Rick and Evelyn ran up to the room of Mr. Burns. They were soon followed by the other two Americans and Jonathan. Zi shied behind, but got there to see Mr. Burns' dried up corpse sitting in a chair. His mouth was open and the bandage around his eyes was loose. She only saw him for a minute before the mummy, who charged up to Rick, gave him a big push that flew Rick into the air and onto the group. Zi was at the bottom of the pile, but she hid her whimpers of the pain that was going through her.

A cat meowed and there was a whirl of sand. It all happened so fast; Zi wasn't sure what to think.

"We are in very serious trouble," Rick said as the sand left the room and closed the shutters behind it. He stood up and looked back at the group he was pushed into. It was then he noticed Zi. "Everyone, get up." Rick was frantically pulling people to their feet to get to Zi.

"Are you okay?" Rick sat next to Zi.

"Yeah, just a little sore." She smiled, trying to make a joke. "Feels like a herd of elephants fell on me." Rick chuckled. He knew his sister's humor, knew enough that when she jokes she's hurting more than she's letting on. It's got to hurt to be small and have 4 grown men be pushed on top of her. Trying not to be too much of a worrywart, Rick helped Zi up and decided to keep an eye on her. He was running out of eyes.

Now with Mr. Burns dead, there were only two other people that could help him keep an eye on his sister, other than Jonathan. He could sense that Evelyn was doing it naturally as a sisterly reflex. But, he didn't exactly trust the other two American's.

"Now Zi, I've learned a thing or two about you since we've been on this trip," Rick had pulled Zi off to the side to tell her that they were going to solve this problem. "I always knew you had this in you, but I guess I'm a little surprised you chose now to bring it out." Zi was confused. "You were going to try to defy me and hide with Evelyn so that you could help her, weren't you?" Zi nodded. "The nuns knew you were a genius about scholastics and languages, but they wouldn't have guessed that you were a genius on how to manipulate your brother." Rick smiled and tapped her chin.

"I'm sorry," Zi felt defeated.

"Well, you got your wish," Zi's eyes lit up. "We're going to stay." Zi was so excited she jumped into her brother's arms hugging him. She knew the danger at hand, but she was happy knowing that by defeating the mummy they could live longer and better lives.


	11. It all makes sense now

"I think we should go to the curator and try to sort this whole thing out." Evelyn said resolutely. She was standing by her brother looking at Rick and Zi.

The group walked through the entrance of the Museum of Antiquities, Evelyn's work, trying to make sense of it all. Rick kept Zi close by, and couldn't help noticing that Mr. Henderson was inching his way closer to her. It appeared to Rick, that each person from the American group, except the Egyptologist, were drawn to his sister. He felt a little twinge of jealousy.

He knew that he would have to let his sister get married and he would have to let her go, but he wasn't ready to do that so soon after his release. Not only did he feel jealous that he would lose his sister, but he felt guilty that he was falling in love right in front of Zi. This couldn't be easy for her, he was thinking.

"He does seem to like Evy." Jonathan broke Rick's thoughts.

"Yeah, what's that about?" Rick had noticed the mummy's interest in Evy. He didn't like that. Zi listened to the group talk as they walked down the hallway; she was trying to figure it all out. She was usually very good at solving all kinds of problems, but she was very perplexed by this one. There was some sort of secret, she just knew it, and it was being very well kept.

"We are part of an ancient secret society," the curator was explaining to the group as he described himself and the man in black that he was talking to when the group entered. The man looked very familiar, it took Zi a moment to recognize that she saw the man when they were in Hamunaptra. That explained why Rick pulled out his gun when he saw him. "For over 3,000 years we have guarded the City of the Dead. We are sworn at manhood to do any and all in our power to stop the High Priest Imhotep from being reborn into this world."

Rick listened very carefully to the curator and the man, Ardeth Bay. He was growing concerned; he always thought of the worst case scenario and he wasn't sure how he could keep his sister safe now that they were staying. He had to consider that Zi might be safer staying with Rose. But, then, he wouldn't know for sure. All of this, he was thinking while he listened to the curator.

"Question," Rick said, raising his hand. "Why doesn't he like cats?" That was a good point; Zi also had noticed that the mummy seemed distraught at the sight of the cat.

"Cats are the guardians of the Underworld. He will fear them until he is fully regenerated." The curator responded. Great, Zi thought, now all we need to do is figure out how to kill him before he gets worse. Which is exactly what the curator confirmed a few moments later after realizing that the mummy had a little crush on Evelyn.

The sky had grown dark. Rick and Zi led the group out of the museum and into the ninth plague. Even though she watched the eclipse, and that was all this was, Zi was a little unnerved knowing the creature was getting stronger.

"We must stop him from regenerating," Evelyn was saying when the group had reached her room. That was the consensus throughout the group. "Who opened that chest?"

"Well, there was me and Daniels here," Mr. Henderson said. "And, Burns, of course." Zi shuddered thinking about the dry corpse sitting in his chair. She was standing by the window that Rick stared out of. He was still in disbelief that this was really happening. He would have liked nothing more than to take Zi back to America or anywhere else, for that matter, and to start all over again.

"What about my buddy, Beni?" Rick asked turning away from the window, after he could see that Zi was okay.

"No, he scrammed outta there 'fore we opened the damn thing." Daniels responded.

"Yeah, he was the smart one." Henderson muttered.

"Well, that sounds like Beni." Rick moved his sister away from the window and closer to the group. It was then decided that they would find the Egyptologist, since he was the forth person who opened the chest, and keep them all together. Zi could see that it made sense, but it also had a few flaws. But, there would be no real way of protecting them if they were spread out.

"Right!" Rick looked at Evelyn across the table and then at Zi. "You two stay here. You three, come with me." Zi didn't want to be away from Rick. But she wasn't the only person who protested. Evelyn, Daniels, Henderson and Jonathan all had something to say about it. Rick wasn't going to have it. There was no way he was going to take Zi somewhere where he couldn't keep an eye on her.

Zi, finding her stubborn streak, walked to Evelyn's side. There was strength in numbers. The way she figured it, if she stood with Evelyn, both objecting to the order, he would concede and they could go.

This was a battle, with Rick, that Zi would lose. He wasn't doing this merely because their father told him to take care of her; he was doing this because this is the only way he could keep her safe. Not only that, there was another factor, Rick didn't want his sister to see him scared.

* * *

><p>Back at the orphanage, Rick would take his role as protector very seriously. It really started when Zi came back to the room they shared crying because someone teased her about her name. Rick first apologized, since he named her, but she wouldn't let him feel bad. She told him, "it's their own fault for being ignorant of the greatness this name holds." Rick was proud of his sister at that point, but he still felt sorry for it. Sure, Zi had the confidence to love her name, but he vowed that he would never let anyone else tease her.<p>

When she got a little older and had her first crush with the new boy, Rick was a little nervous. He knew she thought she was "in love" and the boy, who was much older, seemed to like her back. Somehow, the boy had convinced Zi to sneak out of the orphanage one night. She was only 7, but she was rather mature for her age, the boy was 12. He told her that there was a secret club meeting where they made up stories around a campfire, and this was the night the members, all boys, brought their girlfriends. Zi was very thrilled; she didn't realize that she was his girlfriend.

"There is only one thing before we go," Zi looked at him with wide eyes. "No one, not even our girlfriends, are allowed to know the location of the meeting." Zi nodded, he seemed honest. She let him blindfold her and take her far from the orphanage. After they had walked for a while, the boy told Zi to sit down. "We seem to be the first ones here. Just sit here while I go get firewood to start the fire. Keep your blindfold on." He ordered before walking away.

The boy didn't go for firewood; he went back to the orphanage. Rick had seen his sister go off with this boy, but she wasn't with him the next time he saw him. Rick decided to wait for a little bit, it was almost time for bed, Zi would be along.

Night came and went, Zi didn't return. Rick was worried. He was hoping that he would find her in her class or in a hallway somewhere sleeping. But, there was no sign of her. Rick alerted the nuns who had also noticed her absence and they were also in a tizzy trying to locate her.

It was at breakfast that Rick approached the boy and overheard him talk about how he led a girl out into the desert, blindfolded, and just left her there. He was trying to show the other boys how cool he was.

"Excuse me, but have you seen my sister?" Rick asked calmly, knowing well that he was the last person to see her and being highly suspicious that she was the 'girl' he left in the desert. At that moment, the other boys at the table suspected this as well. The boy just waved him off. This infuriated Rick, he had been fighting the urge to pull this boy to his feet and knock some sense into him, but he tried again.

Everyone in the orphanage liked Rick and his sister, all the girls were in love with him and the boys respected him. Though, they were a little afraid to like Zi because of her protective brother. When the boy waved Rick off again and continued to talk to the other boys, who were less impressed now knowing who it was that he took.

The boy barely uttered two words when he felt himself being jerked up by his shirt collar and being pushed down on the table. The nuns didn't do anything, they had a feeling this new boy had something to do with Zi's disappearance and knew that Rick was only trying to scare the boy, and it worked.

"Look, I know you were talking with my sister last night at dinner and I know you walked off together. What I find strange is that you returned last night and she didn't. So I'm going to ask you one more time, and it would be in your best interest to not lie to me."

Twenty minutes later Rick rushed up to Zi, who was lying in the sand. She had taken her blindfold off realizing that he was not going to return for her and that she might try finding her way home.

* * *

><p>Rick told Jonathan that story, when he questioned his sternness with Zi back at Evelyn's apartment. They were on their way to the office of the Egyptologist. He ran that memory through his mind later when Zi, Evelyn, Jonathan, Ardeth, the curator and Daniels were running through Cairo away from a mob of Egyptians. Nothing like that was going to happen to her again; nothing that would cause the hurt to return to her eyes.<p> 


	12. It starts again

"Come with me, my princess. It is time to make you mine forever." Beni translated for Imhotep. Zi was standing behind Evelyn who was staring at him.

"'For all eternity,' idiot," Evelyn corrected. Rick was staring intently at Beni and Imhotep. He had to think of something fast. Imhotep spoke calmly in Ancient Egyptian, but he couldn't understand. It was only Beni, Evelyn and Zi who knew what he was saying. But, Zi wasn't paying attention to the words; she was watching Imhotep, trying to figure out if he was telling the truth.

"Take my hand and I will spare your friends." Beni translated. Rick knew he had to think faster. He knew that they wouldn't be spared even if Evelyn did go. How were they going to get out of there?

"Have you got any bright ideas?" Evelyn interrupted his thought process.

"I'm thinkin', I'm thinkin'"

"You better think of something fast, because if he turns me into a mummy, you're the first one I'm coming after." Evelyn looked lovingly at Rick, who looked back at her. She then glanced at Zi, signaling to Rick to get her out of there. If it wasn't clear before, Evelyn respected Rick for protecting his sister the way he did. And she understood that at that moment, the only way that she could keep them all safe, including Zi, was to go with Imhotep and Beni.

"No!" Rick protested. He didn't understand Evelyn's decision.

"Don't!" Evelyn replied. "He still has to take me to Hamunaptra to perform the ritual." The way she saw it, it would buy them some time.

"She is right. Live today, fight tomorrow." Ardeth reasoned with Rick. Zi was impressed. Rick had the tendency not to listen to anyone when it came to being a protector. But, for the first time, he was listening. 'I have to get Zi out of here, that's the first thing,' he thought. 'Then, I can go and get Evelyn.'

Zi watched Evelyn walk away with Imhotep and Beni. She could tell that her brother was thinking about what he needed to do to get everyone out alive. With Evelyn gone, and the Imhotep fully regenerated, there were only 5 left: Rick, Ardeth, Jonathan, the curator and herself.

Only a moment after Evelyn walked away, Imhotep ordered the mob to kill them. Rick's mind went crazy, how could he get everyone of there? He was ready to fight when he noticed a manhole below them, then he threw his torch at the crowd so he had his hands free to uncover it. Rick called Jonathan over to him; he was the closest to him.

"What about my sister?" Jonathan asked before jumping in.

"We're gonna get her back! Go!" Rick glanced at his own sister who was behind Ardeth. Ardeth was the next person to go down. Before he went down, Rick turned to him. "Please, catch my sister." Ardeth nodded and jumped down.

Zi knew she was next, but she was also concerned that Rick would try to fight the mob off a little more. He was like that, she knew.

"Zi, give me your hand!" Rick pulled her toward him. "You're next."

"What about you?"

"I'll be right behind you." Rick kissed her forehead and quickly lowered her into the manhole.

Zi dropped down and was caught by a black robe. It took Zi a moment to realize that the person who caught her was Ardeth. "Thank you," she said as she was put down. Less than a minute later Rick landed in the sewer. They were one less. Zi didn't ask any questions, she knew that Rick wouldn't have left anyone behind that didn't want to be.

"You alright?" Rick brushed Zi's hair out of her face. She nodded as Rick hugged her. Zi let out a sob, she was worried about Evelyn and she had a feeling that this next adventure was one that she would miss out on. Rick held her; he had a big decision to make. What was he going to do about Zi? But, first thing was first. He looked at Ardeth and smiled at him, thanking him for catching her.

"So, when are you leaving?" Zi asked, trying to suck up the tears to let Rick know that she would try to be ok being left behind.

"First thing," Rick responded. Zi nodded, wiped a tear from her cheek. "We should get going." He took Zi's hand and led the group out of the sewer.


	13. Making the journey back

"Mornin' Winston," it was early as the four entered the Royal Air Corps base. "Uh, a word." Zi was very surprise, and happy, that she wasn't left behind. Rick considered it, but he realized he would miss her too much. And this was a sure way to protect her…that was his logic, even if it didn't make sense to anyone.

"Is it dangerous?" Winston asked putting down his cup of tea.

"Well, you probably won't live through it," Rick responded.

"By Jove, do you really think so?"

"Everybody else we've bumped into has died, why not you?" Jonathan chimed in. Zi was confused. She couldn't understand why this man was so obsessed with dying. But, if he was willing to hel, then she could try to put it out of her mind.

"So, you're O'Connell's sister?" Winston was walking next to Zi, while Rick was directly behind them. She nodded. As they approached the plane, Winston turned around to the rest of the group. "Well, here she is. The best plane flown by the oldest pilot in Her Majesty's Royal Air Corps."

"Alright, let's get going!" Rick ordered, starting to remove his gun pack.

"Just one moment," Winston stopped Rick and spoke to him in a whisper. "How will we manage it? I can fit one other person in the cockpit and one on each wing, " he looked intently at Rick. He was trying to convince him to leave Zi behind.

"I know what you're getting at, Winston, but we are going to have to manage another person. I'm not leaving my sister behind. This would be a challenge."

After a short conversation between Winston and Rick, it was decided that Rick would ride in the cockpit, Jonathan on one wing with a little added weight, and Ardeth would be on the other wing with Zi.

* * *

><p>Zi kept her head buried in Ardeth's robe. She felt the wind as they flew over the Egyptian desert. For the first time she actually felt safe with someone other than her brother.<p>

"How are you doing?" Ardeth asked. "Are you doing alright?" He knew that Zi might not be able to speak loud enough for him to hear over the engine and the wind. Even though she was scared, Zi nodded, which Ardeth could feel on his chest. He was having a blast. But, at the same time, he understood the weight of the responsibility that Rick had given him.

Zi kept her eyes closed the entire flight, even though her face was buried. Suddenly she felt the plane start to go down. And it was going fast. 'This is it,' she thought. The plane crashed to the ground, Zi felt the impact and was relieved that she had survived. Since her eyes were still closed, she was hoping that she wasn't the only one.

The air around Zi's face went cool as Ardeth unstrapped himself from the wing. Rick came over and helped his sister off.

"That wasn't so bad, was it?" Rick smiled.

"Maybe, next time, you should be on the wing then," Zi laughed. She quite enjoyed the adventure. And there was something about Ardeth that intrigued her. But, as far as she knew, she would be heading to America with Rick once their mission was done.

"A—excuse me…a little help would be useful, if it's not too much trouble!" Jonathan screamed from the other wing. Zi smiled a little. Rick walked over to him and unbuckled the belt that was holding him on. Jonathan fell to the ground. "Thank you."

After they gather their supplies, and Ardeth pulls a gun off of the plane, Rick walks up to Winston who was still in the pilot's seat and smiling. His dream of dying had come true. Moments later the plane started to sink into the sand. That was their cue; it was time to go.

"We're back!" Zi saw the city as they climbed over the dune next to the plane. "So, what's the plan big brother?"

"We get Evelyn back." Rick put his arm around Zi's shoulders and they walked towards Hamunaptra.


	14. We're back!

"We need to find Horus," Jonathan stated upon entering the city. The four of them walked through dark, familiar hallways until they reached a dead end. The only way to move on was to remove the rocks that were blocking their way. Rick handed his torch to Zi and he and Ardeth began digging. Zi noticed that Jonathan was getting a little bit antsy, she could tell that he wanted to get to his sister a quick as possible. His way of 'helping' them dig was by calling out orders.

Rick could understand Jonathan's angst, but the constant orders were getting on his nerves. The orders finally stopped, and Jonathan found something else to amuse him with. Unfortunately, the amusement he found was the same the warden had found. The quiet corridor was soon filled with Jonathan's screams as a scarab started to make its way up his arm. Zi looked away as Rick pulled it out of Jonathan's arm with a knife.

Through the tunnel, which was blocked by the rocks, was a dark room. Zi entered behind her brother, holding his belt as usual. The only ligh that could be seen, aside from the torches, was a stream of sunlight shining on a far away mirror. Rick took out his pistol and shot at the mirror. The noise was loud, but the room was soon filled with light. But not only that; the room was filled with gold. The group was speechless.

Halfway into the treasure room, Zi heard a high-pitched squeaking noise. She looked around, not exactly sure what it was. But, from her experience, it wasn't going to be good. Her eyes focused on the ground as four mummified arms punched through the ground, which were followed by the rest of the mummies.

"Who the hell are these guys?" Rick asked.

"Priests," Ardeth aimed his gun at the mummies. "Imhotep's priests."

"Ok," they all aimed their guns and shot at the mummies, which were very insistent and began to advance. Zi started running away from the mummies, hoping that she would be able to find a safe room while the men fought the priests off. Finding a room, which also happened to hold Horus, she called to Rick who led the group in her direction.

"There you are Horus ol' boy!" Jonathan exclaimed upon entering the room. He lit a standing torch near the statue as Zi started to read the statue, looking for the compartment.

"Man, these guys just don't quit, do they?" Rick and Jonathan were hard a work trying to open the compartment. Zi had pushed herself into a niche in the wall next to the entrance of the room. Imhotep must have sent more mummies, because Ardeth cocked his gun.

"Keep digging," Ardeth told them. He looked at Zi against the wall and smiled at her. 'She's quite pretty,' he thought. Zi smiled back, but she noticed that his eyes were sad. She knew what that meant. He took his eyes off of her and ran, yelling, into the group of mummies that were in the hallway.

Zi couldn't believe what he had just done. A number of feelings went through her mind. But there was no time to think about them at the time. There were more mummies that had come up through the floor that needed her attention.

Everything was happening so fast. Zi almost missed seeing the compartment being opened by two mummies. In a panic, she tried to shoot at them, luckily there was also pressurized salt acid which melted them. Jonathan grabbed the book that was inside as Rick finished off the rest of the mummies.

There were still mummies in the hallway, Rick took out a stick of dynamite, lit it, pushed Jonathan next to his sister, then dove over to join them. He used as much of himself as he could to shield Zi from an dust, sand, or even rocks that may come their way.

"You alright?" Rick asked quickly. Zi knew that there was no time for her to not be fine, she nodded as Rick quickly kissed her forehead. Then he took her hand and they ran through the now empty corridor.

The corridors were basically dark; they were down to one torch. So they had to go by the light of the random streams of sunlight and the pieces of flaming mummy that lined the walls. Rick kept hold of Zi's hand as they ran through the long hallway.

The ground shook and stopped them dead in their tracks. Zi was almost sure they would see a huge mass of scarabs again. They looked around as two hands shot up from the ground right between Rick and Zi. The sight frightened Zi that she fell to the ground and lost grip of her brother's hand. A horde of mummies came pouring out of the hole in the ground. Zi had no other choice but to run in the opposite direction as Rick and Jonathan.

Zi didn't know where she was going. But, she didn't look behind her. She remembered what Rick had told her before entering the city again. He had pulled her aside, letting Jonathan and Ardeth walk ahead.

"I don't know what to expect when we are inside. We are going to have to be prepared." Rick pulled Zi's derringer out of his belt. "You might need this." He handed it to her. Zi tucked it back in her boot. "One more thing. If we get separated, I want you to promise me that you will get out and wait for us."

"But, what if you need my help?"

"I don't plan on losing you, sis, if that's what you're suggesting. I could use some help, but if you and I are separated, you have to get out and I will be out with the rest soon." Rick kissed Zi's forehead and held her tight. But what was going through Zi's mind; was what if someone else gets separated with her? Instead of bringing it up, she held on to her brother. She didn't know, but he was nervous. This was one thing that he never wanted his sister to see.

Zi ran her brother's words through her head as she ran, trying to find something familiar. For all she knew, she could have been running deeper into the city. Even through she didn't want to be separated from Rick, she knew that he would be out soon.

The mummies were still on her tail, but she kept on running. She took a moment to look behind her, hoping that there was a bit of distance between herself and the priests. She only looked back for a second, that's all it took. She didn't notice the rock on the ground until she tripped over it. She had a pretty good lead on them, but it wouldn't take them long now to close the gap.

Zi checked her gun for bullets, took a deep breath and took aim. She was prepared to shoot them as they came around the corner. One, two, down, she waited for the rest. As the third mummy came around the corner, Zi took aim, but before she could shoot she heard another gunshot. That shot did more damage to the mummy than her tiny derringer could do with two bullets.

'Rick!' she thought.

It wasn't her brother. Ardeth leapt out from behind the next corner and helped Zi get rid of her entourage.

"Thank you," Zi smiled as Ardeth helped her to her feet.

"My pleasure," he smiled back. "Shall we get out of here?" She nodded and they made their way out of the city.


	15. The end of an adventure!

Rick and Jonathan ran deeper into the city. When they had gained some ground on the mummies behind them, they turned around to take care of them. Jonathan hugged the Book of Amun Ra close to his chest while Rick stood ready to defend. In a few minutes the mummies made their appearance, and seconds later were disposed of.

"Let's go!" Rick said, turning down the hallway. Jonathan took a second, before he turned to follow Rick, to look back. He couldn't help but wonder what had happened to Zi.

'Why isn't Rick going after his sister?' he thought. Truth was, even though Zi had promised him, Rick was still beside himself with worry. This was one of the fears he had in bringing her back to Hamunaptra and precisely why he didn't want to lose her.

He knew she would keep her promise. But he was still worried that she might get lost or that she wouldn't out run the mummies. At the same time he was getting a sense that she was okay and safe. At this moment he needed to go with the feeling.

* * *

><p>Of course Zi was safe. Ardeth knew the city well to get them outside in minutes. Their walk was silent. Zi was trying to figure out the mystery of this man. He walked with determination to get out of the city, as if he were on some sort of mission.<p>

Zi welcomed the sun on her face like a long lost friend. She was thrilled to be out of the city. It would allow Rick to do what he needed to do without worrying about her. It also kept her away from any more mummies. She made sure to attempt sending a signal to Rick so he could focus. Whether he ot it or not, she wasn't sure.

"I want to thank you again for helping me." Zi broke the silence as they sat down next to a rock outside the entrance to the underground.

"I am just happy I was there when I was," Ardeth responded.

"That makes three of us," Zi laughed. It was pretty obvious who she was meaning.

* * *

><p>Time was of the essence. Rick needed to get Evelyn and get out as fast as possible to his sister. He wasn't exactly sure if Zi made it out of the city, but he also couldn't spend too much time worrying about her. She did promise to get out; she would keep her word.<p>

"We're almost there," Rick whispered to Jonathan. He could hear the chanting of the priests in the next room. Jonathan nodded as Rick explained the plan. He wanted to attack from two sides. There were a lot of mummies and he needed to sneak in, he was the brawn; Jonathan was the distraction.

Rick's mind was going in two directions. He knew he needed to get out of the city for Zi, but he was also worried about Evelyn. It didn't take him long to realize how hard he had fallen for her. It wasn't fair for his sister, which is why he was trying to fight it. But, with Evelyn in danger, he couldn't keep it hidden.

"I found it, Evy! I found it!" Jonathan burst into the room where Imhotep was performing the ritual to bring Anck-su-namun back from the dead.

"Shut up and get me off of here!" Evelyn called up to her brother. This was working out just as Rick wanted it to. Imhotep was distracted and so were his priests.

Seeing Evelyn chained up on a table caused chills to go up his spine. He struggled with different feelings: the most dominant was anger. He knew that he had to work fast to get her out of there. Rick moved quietly behind them and snagged a sword from a nearby statue.

In one swift movement, Rick let out his own battle cry and attacked the mummies head on. After getting his first mummy his anger was gone. The next was his love for Evelyn. He wanted to save her; he needed to save her. If he couldn't save her, he wouldn't be the man he needed to be for his sister. He wasn't sure if it was really a love thing for Evelyn or a pride thing for himself.

Rick was torn. He wasn't sure how to feel. He loved his sister with all his being. He just believed that would be enough. That he wouldn't need to fall in love with someone, even though he wanted it. He knew that Zi already felt unworthy of his love, how is it possible for him to love another just as much as his sister? How would she know that she still meant the world to him even though he was in love with Evelyn?

* * *

><p>Zi sat in comfortable silence outside the city; Ardeth had gone to gather camels. Zi's thoughts went to the activity going on inside. She wanted to know what was going on, she wanted to be more help to her brother. She could understand the language; she only lived in a Cairo orphanage all her life.<p>

What was taking them so long? She was wondering. Her worst fears flooded her imagination. She never considered what would happen to her if Rick didn't make it. She was sure that if her brother didn't come out, neither would Evelyn or Jonathan. The only option she could think of at the moment was Rose. But then the other question was, how would she know that they weren't coming out?

What if he wasn't in time to save Evelyn? Zi already knew that her brother had fallen in love. It was something that she would have to get used to. But, she didn't know what the loss of Evelyn would do to him. Zi closed her eyes tight in a silent prayer that they all come out unscathed, or at least let Rick and Evelyn stay together.

Zi felt the heat of the sun beat down on her. The shade from the wall she was sitting against did very little to cool the heat. The warmth and the lack of sleep from the night before caused Zi's head to fall back and her eyes to droop.

She had only closed her eyes for a moment when she heard a rumbling. Her eyes shot open just in time to see Rick running out of the city with Jonathan and Evelyn in tow.

Zi stood up and smiled as they approached her. Rick was screaming something at her, but she couldn't make it out. As Rick reached her, he grabbed her hand and pulled her along. It was a good thing too; the walls were tumbling down all around them. Seconds after moving, the wall crumbled. Zi let out a sigh of relief when she looked back.

The four stood and stared as the walls fell down before them. They had lost a lot; Zi couldn't help but run all the events through her head again. She ran all the memories from the adventure in her mind. The screams of the warden, the regeneration of the mummy; it was all over.

Jonathan jumped at a hand that touched his shoulder, causing the rest to do the same. Ardeth had crept up behind them on a camel. After a few words, he rode off into the desert.

"Well…" Jonathan said, a little exasperated. "I guess we go home empty handed, again."

"I wouldn't say that," Jonathan and Zi looked at Rick as he pulled Evelyn closer and kissed her.

Yes, the adventure was over. Rick was out of jail and Zi no longer had the smelly warden after her. She could now spend some real time with her brother again…which now seemed to include Evelyn and Jonathan.

Zi smiled to herself as they headed back to Cairo. And this time….she got to ride her own camel.

**The End...for now!**


End file.
